“Ah look at all the lonely people” sang The Beatles in their Eleanor Rigby song. Since the 60s, many things have changed, including the way people find soulmates. After the revolution caused by Tinder in 2012, the niche of dating applications is still up and running.

Below, we share the main Tinder features, explain its matching algorithm and monetization strategy.

But there is more.

You will also find mobile dating app development, step-by-step guide.

Current dating app statistic

As we said, modern technologies have completely changed the way we find someone to date and online dating is no longer a taboo.

The dating apps market is growing, as well as the customers’ demands. Therefore, if you what to make a dating app, this is the right time. And in this case, you should look up to industry leaders, like Tinder.

Now, let's learn how to make a dating app like Tinder.

What are Tinder's main features

As we said, Tinder is one of the most popular dating applications around the world, and the secret weapon of Tinder is a gaming spirit and swiping feature. If you like someone’s profile, you swipe right, if you don’t - you swipe left.

Now we'll look on Tinder app features in more details.

Login via social networks. Users can log in with their Instagram or Facebook profiles. Then, users can connect their Facebook and Instagram profiles with a Tinder account. Such social authentication helps the platform to become more trustworthy.

Geolocation. Tinder use users location to see which social spots, like bars, coffee shops, etc. they visit more frequently. Other users who have visited that place receive a notification only after the app user leaves that place. Besides, Tinder uses geolocation to find interest-based matches. This way, the app improves its services. For instance, the app will remove cinema halls from the social spots list if a lot of app users keep deleting it from their lists.

Matching algorithm. The app algorithm compares the new user profile with other profiles that are already in the database and suggests relevant matches.

How Tinder algorithm works.

The app uses the score to rank people by the attractiveness

For this, the app counts how many people swiped a person's profile right (or Liked).

The more likes, the higher the user's score

The app shows their profiles to other people with a similar amount of likes

Thereby, the app makes the match from the most liked people

Swipe Surge. As we said, Tinder users can like other profiles with a right swipe and dislike them by swiping left. According to Tinder press release, Swipe Surge increased user activity up to 15x higher. This feature also increases the user match-making potential by 250 percent.

Image source: Luceverntech

Find matches. Users can set interests, age, gender, etc. as search criteria. Then, the app makes a match of users who like each other's profiles.

Profile setting. Tinder users can set their profiles to make them more trustworthy and attractive.

Push notification. When the app algorithm finds a suitable match, the user receives a push notification.

Private chat. When the app makes a match, users can chat in build-in unscripted messenger.

Our next step is learn how to develop a dating app.

How to create your own dating app: A Step-by-step guide

To turn your idea about a dating app into a reality, you need to go through the following stages:

Step 1. Find our niche

Finding a niche is the first stage of starting a dating app. While there are many dating apps already present in the market, you still have an opportunity to stand out from the crowd. For that, you need to choose your niche.

Below you will find the most exciting dating niches, currently present in the market.

Preferences in food

There are many people with particular menu choices, such as gluten-free people, vegetarians, and vegans. Still, it is hard for them to meet a soul make in everyday life with the same preferences. So, you can base your dating app on some individual diet preferences.

Example:

Gluten-Free Singles. This dating website was created for gluten-free people so that they can find dating partners, friends, and activity groups with people of the same preferences.

Preferences in lifestyle

We are all different, having different ideas of the perfect place to live. While some of us are children of big cities, others might prefer living in the countryside. Shared preferences in lifestyle can be a solid basis for people to start their relationship.

Example:

Equestrian Cupid. This dating website, developed for country and horse lovers, is a perfect place to find a cowboy or cowgirl. Equestrian Cupid gathered millions of people who dislike busy cities and dream to live in the countryside. Even if the user does not own a horse, they can join the website if they share down to earth values.

Favorite pets

Favorite pets is another theme that may bring people together. Some of us are cat lovers, while others like dogs. Thus, you can base your dating app on common interests in pets.

Example:

Purrsonals. This dating website brings cat lovers together, so they can look for love while discussing their pets.

So, what's next?

Step 2. Choose a business model

There are several business models that Tinder and other dating apps use for earning money:

Premium business model

Users get a free set of basic app features, but they can buy a premium app version with the following advanced features :

Boosting profile. The app charges users a fixed fee to show their profile as the first in the search result.

Advanced swipe. This feature, powered by a machine learning algorithm, changes the way users see photos.

what is technology behind it? The smart algorithm adjusts the user photos on the basis of the interests of other users. In this way, the owner of a premium account receives more chances to get matched.

Unlimited likes. While users of the free app version have a limited amount of right swipes or likes, users with a paid account have an unlimited number of likes.

You can use other ways of app monetization, such as:

In-app purchases

App users are pleased to give and receive gifts from each other. To do this, empower your app with paid gifts, such as greetings, flowers, and kisses.

Ads

Many applications use this monetization strategy. You can charge other businesses for running their ads in your app. This might be cost-per-click or cost-per-mile models.

Step 3. Choose the tech stack for Tinder-like app

Now you need to choose the technologies that will power your app and the main thing you need to keep in mind is scaling.

But why does it matter?

As we look at Tinder as an example:

Since the app's launch, the Tinder app developers used MongoDB, the NoSQL database, to match people. But, as the app becomes popular and gains users, it becomes hard for the team to maintain the MongoDB database performance. So, the team needed to move to the more powerful Amazon Web Services hosting.

With this in mind, consider the following Tinder technology stack for your dating app.

Now it is time to find some mobile app developers, right?

Step 4. Choose a dating app development team

With numerous options presented on the mobile app development market, you need to consider the following parameters to find the best app development team:

Developers hourly rate

It is no secret that developers from different countries have a different hourly rate. At the same time, they might have similar experience and skillsets. Therefore, if you want to decrease development costs, you can consider partnering with developers from other countries.

Check the table with developers’ rates across different countries below.

Image source: Clutch

Portfolio

The portfolio is another sign you need to check when looking for a mobile app development team. This way, you will receive insight into the company's level of expertise. Besides, it would be great if the mobile development company have dating apps in their portfolio.

Our recent project is WizzLuck, a mobile dating application which connects people of similar interests.

The client hired us to refactor the MVP, debug it, and make an upgrade for the new market. For this project, the team remastered the code, fixed the bugs, and developed a new design.

We also integrated a geolocation feature to help WizzLuck users find matches nearby.

Now, moving on.

Previous clients

Ask the mobile development team for a list of recent clients. By contacting them, you can learn about your future developers’ reliability, communication skills, and commitments.

Development Capabilities

The size of the development team is another thing to consider. If you want to create an enterprise-level solution, you need to find a big development team. On the other hand, to create a project MVP, you can cooperate with a team with one or two mobile developers.

Step 5. Develop and launch MVP

After you've selected the development team, they will start the discovery (inception) phase. This stage will include clarification of the project's requirements, your business goals, and project prototyping.

Feature

Description

Estimated development time

Social sign-in

Empower your app with sign-in via social networks like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn for a more seamless experience.

24+ hours

User profile

Each user has own profile where his/her indicates interests and hobbies.

12+ hours

Geolocation

With this feature, the app users will choose the region where they want to find a soulmate and even choose nearby locations.

8+ hours

Matching

To make the matching process more accurate, use AI-based algorithms.

45+ hours

Chatting

When users have a match, they can start chatting and get to know each other better. Also, it is possible to add stickers and GIFs optionally to make messages more vivid.

6+ hours

Push notifications

Push notifications will inform your app users about their matches.

18+ hours

Settings

Settings include main features like select by categories, on/off the sound, customize different filters, and so on.

16+ hours

Total

From 129+ hours

The Bottom Line

The development of a dating app might be a very profitable investment. Still, matching app development is a complicated procedure that requires, not only financial resources but also significant experience from your mobile development team.

We hope that our guide on how to create a dating app has helped you to understand how to make your own Tinder app and monetization strategies you should apply.

The only thing left is to find an experienced development team to turn your ideas into reality.